From the book

Introduction

Whenever we have guests over for the weekend, I like to make something really super-special for breakfast. I couldn’t bear the idea of presenting a visitor with cereal, so I like to make something simple but really delicious and pleasing to the eye. That, for me, means three simple things: pastry, ham and cheese. What could be better? This crown is big enough to have for breakfast and still leave enough for a snack later on.

Makes 10-12 slices

Easy

Prep time: 25 min

Cook time: 30 min

Total time: 55 min

Ingredients

2 x 320g

packets of ready-rolled puff pastry

4 tbsp

tomato ketchup

1 tsp

paprika

12

cooked smoked turkey or ham slices

200g

Gouda cheese, grated

1

egg, lightly beaten

rock salt

1 tsp

black sesame seeds

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas mark 6. Line a large baking tray with baking paper.

Unroll both pieces of pastry and join two of the short ends to make one long piece, pressing the two edges together. Place your long piece of pastry on a work surface, making sure to keep the pastry on the pieces of paper it comes wrapped in, as this will make manoeuvring much easier later on.

Mix the ketchup and paprika together in a small bowl and spread all over one side of the pastry, leaving just 1cm free round the edges. Lay the slices of turkey or ham on top, followed by the cheese.

Roll up the pastry like a Swiss roll, starting from the long edge. Try to roll it as tightly as possible. Once it’s rolled, bring the two ends together to create a ring and join by squashing the pastry together.

Place the pastry ring on the prepared baking tray.

Using a sharp knife, cut 2cm-width slits around the edges, making sure not to go all the way through. Gently pull and twist each section of pastry and lay the slices on their side, so the swirly bits are slightly exposed.

Brush the top of the pastry with beaten egg and sprinkle with the salt and sesame seeds. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes.